Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1887-01-26
PGLLy's RELIGION.
nx nEnrccA HANDING ,saI DAVIS.

nouSly nave named bnS OemnLnSh
, They had long ago been ths huclcu
about which the Presbyterian churel
gathered. Now Squire Demming's peI
faced that Of the pastor, and no matte
how stormy the weather there was hi
venerable white head in IFS place ant
Mother Demming's placid old face be
i5e it. Grace and Isabella, the tin
married sisters, and Joe, filled tho pew
Young Mr.. Floyd (Sho was radical il
bis views, or any visiting Ciergymel
might preach what they chose, TIL
Demmfngs listened with the same
calm, devout pleasure. IT never occur
red to them to dispute any Opinion
promulgated by a minister of thei
ehureh. 1t was "all good" like the Bi
bic. There was no room for choice IL
either. The squire would be just al
likely to read chapter in Numbers t.
Il penltent sinner as one in st. John
The effect OIL his mind was very mucl
the same. Both had the soothing eff
feet of fepeated charm which set hin
safely apart from OTHER fnen.
You would always find on tie Dem
6ning's centre table all the papers and
magazines published by the denomina-
ton. Their house was tbe headquar,
ters for clergymen and colportesrs.
The girls could tell you at moments
iotice where such and such q minister
was now, how long Dr. D. of St. Louis
had stayed in Europe, and hyw much
money had been given to dear Mr.. J.
by his flock in Chicago to visit the Holy
Land. They were exceedingly fond,
too, Of religious poems, and could re-
peat whole pages of Henry Kirke
White and Miss HavergaL They took
an eager interest in all foreign mission
arg work the story of these heroic men
in African luhgles or Indian bunga'
lows had all the dramatic power of a
novel for them. Grace declared she
had positive affection for that lovely
Miss W; ~he was at work in Ceylon,
and considered Mrs. s. who was in
Hong Kong, one of the apostolic type
of Christians, although she had never
seen either of them. Isabella took
! more interest in the ascetic doctrines
coming into notice. She protested a
delight in synrbolism filed Ter room
with religious emblems and pictures ,
wore black on Good Friday and lilies
on Easter, and tasted as reHgiously as
any Episcopalian. Every week che
noted down in her diary the change IN
her spiritual condition. The whole
family were fluent in the use of theo-
| logical terms, and talked garrulously
of the doctrines Of their denomination !;
indeed. works of controversy on this
subject filed their book shelves.
This familiarity with the outer gar
ments of religion made them appear de-
vout in the eyes of others, and in their
own. They were well-to-do family,
and hence felt none of the temptations
of poverty. They were naturally gen
tie, unpretending. amiable folks, and
hence were not likely to yield to the
temptations of wealth. Their pleasant,
mild harmlessness. which was in fact
due to temperament, was set down by
their friends as the effect of piety.
Life to the Demmings was like long
summer day until Joe brought his wife
home. None of the family had ever
seen her. They knew she was one Of
the Anstruthers of Kentucky.
"There are Anstruthers in the United
Presbyterian Church." said Grace. II
hope Mary belongs to our membership. y
'Oh, yes, certainly" said Joe eager
Iy. He was just starting to be married
and he was very anxious that they
should all love Polly in advance.
"Does she sing in the choir?" asked
Isabel.
II think not. But she has one OF the
sweeteet voices-a low contralto. And
you ought to hear her laugh, Belle! The
merriest ring-oh, she'll bring new life
into this house"
The girls smiled. They were fond OF
Joe. and ready to welcome his wife.
"But I hope she is ready to take
leading place in the church, said Grace,
after he had gone. Joe will some day
fill fathers place, and his description of
her does not give me the idea of an ener-
getically religious woman"
We'll hope for the best" said Isa-
bella. She was very busy making an
imitation stained glass window for the
Sunday school room. and was anxious
to finish it before Mary arrived.
"Uncle Ben must be kept in his own
room when she comes, and Tom can be
sent to the country Tor a months visit"
Grace said, her delicate cheek flushing
painfully.
For there were two skeletons in the
Demming household. The squires
brother Ben, who was a paralytic old
soldier and most cross-grained, pro-
fame old fellow. occupied one wing of
the mansion. He had man to nurse
and read to him, for his oaths were in
tolerable to his nieces. Tom was their
brother, younger than Joe. Tom DEM
ming had disappeared for three years
after he left college, and came back
haggard, dissipated loafer. Nobody in
Balls Ferry knew what he had done in
that gap of time, but was certain that
he was under the ban--a marked man.
The family treated him with gloomy
patience. They had taken up their
cross and bore it; but it was heavy, and
he knew they found it heavy. Tom
was never seen by visitors at the table
or in the parlor. At dusk he would
skulk out to join some of
his comrades at the village grog
shops, and occasionally, but not often
was brought home brutally lntoxicat-
Oh
Joes wife disappointed them all. She
was plump, merry little girl, nothing
more. "a very pleasant little heather -
sighed Grace. after two days had passed
"I named some of the best books of re-
ligious fiction, but she never heard of
them; and she did not know of q single
one of our foreign missions"
Good Mrs. Demming was uneasy at
this, and that evening turned the con-
versation on doctrinal subjects. Polly
grew red.